Lucy Wickshire 61 Chapter Eight 9

"Do you know why you are here, s.h.i.+lla?" Madam Elbone asked.

"No." s.h.i.+lla answered.

"Lady Wicks.h.i.+re has been sending you on secret errands and though you have reported, it is suspicious that she insist only you do it. Even your own fellow maids don't know where you are going. Do you remember why you were put in the lady's entourage?" Madam Elbone asked.

"Yes. To watch her and report back." s.h.i.+lla answered.

"Why has it turned this way? Are you trying to gain her trust while betraying your masters?" Madam Elbone asked.

"I don't understand what I have done wrong. When Lady Wicks.h.i.+re get her letters, I report; when she has meetings, I report; I went out today on her orders and just returned, I did not have the time to make the report before being summoned. I need to understand what I am doing wrong, so that I can do it better." s.h.i.+lla said. True enough, Madam Elbone knew what s.h.i.+lla said was true. But Taylor had arrived with these claims and she was asked by the headmistress to do this.

"When the lady gets her letters, you are the only one who is allowed to bring it to her; when she has these secret meetings, you are the only one allowed to be present; when she needs someone handle things for her, you're the only one sent, while we are left to clean and wash her things." Taylor accused.

"That is because you are stupid. You both are." s.h.i.+lla said calmly and Mrs. Muburg burst into anger. She, being the eldest amongst them, had always been the one gaining trust any time she was a.s.signed to a lady, except with Lady Wicks.h.i.+re. She had endured and said nothing, yet s.h.i.+lla was insulting her?

"You! Don't go too far!" Mrs. Muburg said.

"Why do you say they are stupid?" Madam Elbone asked. She was tired and wanted to go to bed. There was nothing she wanted more than to have this situation done and over with.

"Years of service has had their pride grow; they don't seem to understand that all the ladies are different." s.h.i.+lla answered.

"Shut up!" Taylor scolded.

"You think because you have worked with many ladies, you know them all. Lady Wicks.h.i.+re is not like the others and you know that. You may think her just a t.i.tled young girl, whom you can lead by the hair; but you are wrong. When we were instructed to have her come out for the luncheon, you two perched around her like flies; 'there will be this lord there, there will be that lady there', you couldn't seem to stop talking. When you come around, you always try to engage her in some rumour. Are you too blind to see that she has never asked about such things? She does not care about fas.h.i.+on, the weather, rumours or what lord has gotten a royal appointment. You all look stupid before her eyes and truthfully before mine. I don't bother her, only do what I'm told and speak less. So what if she favours me?" s.h.i.+lla asked, her eyes full of anger.

"Sure, she is an unusual lady, but what woman does not do those things? I have worked with enough ladies to know that they only need a little push. My experience is much more than yours and it tells m..." Mrs. Muburg started to say before she paused. She was doing the exact same thing s.h.i.+lla had just said. She saw s.h.i.+lla smirk and turned green.

"Do what you think your experience tells you, I'll continue to study who she is. Don't come complaining just because your experience has failed." s.h.i.+lla smirked.